20 March 2009

SHOWCASE - Fontane Liang

Fontane Liang is one of the pioneer young harpists in Singapore. She was awarded the National Arts Council Overseas Merit Bursary in 2004 to further her studies in Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where she graduated with First-class honours.

At home in Singapore, Fontane has been invited to perform for various charity events and outreach programmes. These include the Charity Ball for The Tent, graced by the President of Singapore, Mr S R Nathan, and a duet with Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Lee Yi Shyan. In 2008, she held a charity concert in London to raise funds for the children of Margaret Drive Special School (Singapore) to receive Music Therapy.

In the time she has been in London, Fontane has played in various concerts, with performances in St. John’s Smith Square and the Barbican where she was soloist in the series “Guildhall Artists at the Barbican”. She has performed in BBC Festivals, including BBC Radio 3 live broadcasts. She has won various harp competitions, the most recent international being 3rd Prize at the Franz Josef Reinl Wettbewerb in Munich, Germany. She has worked with include Daniel Harding, Takuo Yuasa, Paolo Olmi, and David Corkhill. She has played for various dignitaries, including the Duke of Gloucester and the Prince of Wales.

Fontane is highly sought after as a performer and arranger. Her playing has taken her many places including the National Gallery, Museum of London and Wellington Arch. She has also been on tour to Italy and Macau. Fontane is in the process of publishing arrangements for solo harp and harp ensembles in the US.

In 2008, Fontane was awarded the Sir John Barbirolli Award, allowing her to purchase a Baroque Harp – a first for a Singaporean. Fontane is currently pursuing a Masters in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with support from the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and The Dorset Foundation. She studies with Imogen Barford, Head of Harp at the Guildhall and is also pursuing a second study in Baroque Harp, under the guidance of Frances Kelly. Eventually, she hopes to return to Singapore as a practising music therapist and harpist.